This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 26, 2012 - For many area musicians, recording and releasing a CD is part of earning a living as a professional musician. Sales from CDs at performances can add much-needed income - especially at small clubs that provide either involve small booking fees or even playing for the admission charge.
But the artistic incentive that goes with recording a CD far exceeds the economic incentive. And for musicians such as saxophonist Larry Johnson, who balances his career as a music teacher with a love of playing in live performance, it’s a little easier to make sure any recording he’s going to put his name on is focused on quality music first.
Johnson, who teaches at St. Joseph’s School in Cottleville and it an adjunct faculty instructor in the Lindenwood University music program, certainly has his hands full with his teaching duties.
But he is also a regular member of pianist CarolBeth True’s group, Two Times True, as well as performing with the bands Fantasy and Wild, Cool & Swingin’ – and leading his own Larry Johnson group on occasion.
Johnson has also appeared on quite a few recordings by musicians including True, trumpeter Jim Manley, vocalist/pianist Anita Rosamond and others. He’s now set to release his second CD as a leader, “I’m Just Sayin’," at the CD release concert at the Sheldon Concert hall this Friday, Dec. 28.
“I actually recorded the music for this CD late in 2011,” says Johnson during a recent telephone conversation. “It took awhile to get it out for a variety of reasons, but I’m really happy with the way it turned out.”
On “I’m Just Saying’,” Johnson blends well-know jazz standards such as “Cherokee,” “The Night has a Thousand Eyes,” Miles Davis’ “All Blues” and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Tin Tin Deo” with lesser known compositions by jazz masters like McCoy Tyner (“Passion Dance”) and Herbie Hancock ("Stitched Up”). And he stretches jazz boundaries to include rock and pop material by Sting (“Roxanne”), Jack Johnson (“Staple it Together”) and Sara Bareilles (“Many the Miles”). Two of Johnson’s original compositions round out the recording – “Blues for CJ” and the title cut.
“I selected all the songs before we went into the studio,” Johnson says. “And I deliberately wanted to make it accessible to a wide range of people. So I included straight-ahead jazz like “Cherokee” and “The Night has a Thousand Eyes.” But I also wanted to do some things that a lot of other musicians hadn’t covered. And I wanted to do those songs in a way that might bring fans of the original songs and artists into a new way of hearing them.”
That certainly happens with both Jack Johnson’s “Staple it Together” and Hancock’s “Stitched Up” – which bears an imprint of another contemporary pop and rock artist – John Mayer.
“On the Jack Johnson song, I wanted to give it a feel like the Crusaders used to bring to their music – and also feature the trombone,” says Johnson. “I was lucky enough to have trombonist Jim Owens on the recording sessions, and he put together the arrangement for that one. Jim also did the arrangement for “Stitched Up,” which was on a Herbie Hancock recording called “Possibilities” that also featured John Mayer as a guest musician.”
Johnson was also joined in the studio by longtime musical cohorts True, Manley, bassist Glen Smith and Marc Torlina, drummers David True and Joe Meyer and guitarist Rick Haydon. He’s especially pleased that the Rosewood String Quartet (violinists Alison Rolf and marc Thayer, violist Dee Sparks and cellist Marsha Mann) was able to play on the sessions.
“It was great working with everyone,” comments Johnson. “Everyone was wonderful, and it was especially nice to have the Rosewood Quartet as part of the recording. It’s a dream situation for horn and sax players to work with strings!”
Johnson has lined up almost everyone who played on “I’m Just Sayin’“ to be part of the CD release concert – including the Rosewood Quartet. And there will be some added attractions at the concert.
“We’ll essentially be playing music from the CD,” says Johnson. “And we’ve got everyone from the sessions except Rick Haydon. Randy Bahr will be filling in for him on guitar. And we’re adding Cristi John Bye on vocals, so we’ve included a few different things as well. We’ve got a tune that features Jim Manley on trumpet and the strings, plus we’re going to feature Kristi on the Dianne Reeves version of ‘Pick Yourself Up.’ And since it’s the holidays, we’ve got an arrangement of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ that’s a lot of fun.”
For more info on Larry Johnson, visit his website: www.larryjohnsonsaxophone.com.
IF YOU’RE GOING
Larry Johnson’s CD release concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 28 at the Sheldon Concert Hall (3648 Washington Blvd. in grand center, 63108). General admission tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children, cash or check only at the door. Copies of “I'm Just Sayin' “ will be on sale at the concert for $15, and available online via CD Baby and iTunes starting in mid-January.